Court records say the 21-month-old boy found a handgun after its safe was left partly open inside the family’s home.
COLUMBUS, OH — A father has been charged with felony child endangering after his 21-month-old son reportedly found an unsecured handgun and fatally shot himself inside a southeast Columbus home, according to police and court records.
Columbus police identified the child as Jashawn Butler. Officers were sent to the 3000 block of Quinby Drive at about 10:55 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of a shooting. They found Jashawn on the home’s front porch with an apparent gunshot wound.
The child’s mother and aunt were performing CPR when officers arrived, according to court documents reviewed by local news organizations. Emergency crews took Jashawn to Mount Carmel East hospital in critical condition. He died shortly after midnight despite efforts by medical workers to save him.
Police charged the child’s father, Deshawn Butler, with one felony count of endangering children. The charge is an allegation, and court records available in the immediate aftermath of the shooting did not show that Butler had entered a plea.
Butler told detectives that he and Jashawn had been alone in an upstairs bedroom before the shooting, according to court records. Butler said he went to place a gun inside a safe but became distracted while dealing with the toddler and stepped away without realizing that the safe’s door had not closed completely.
Butler said he heard a gunshot moments later and found that his son had shot himself, the records state. Investigators had not publicly released additional details about the weapon, including who owned it or whether it had any other safety device.
Witnesses told investigators they heard a loud noise and then saw Butler run downstairs carrying the injured child, according to the court records. Authorities have not announced that anyone else is charged in connection with Jashawn’s death.
Police said Butler left the scene before officers could speak with him. He later went to Columbus police headquarters and turned himself in on unrelated outstanding warrants, authorities said. Investigators then filed the felony child-endangering charge tied to the shooting.
Franklin County Children Services said the agency was not actively working with the family when the shooting occurred. Agency spokesperson Scott Varner described the child’s death as a tragic reminder that a brief lapse involving a gun around young children can have deadly consequences.
The investigation remained active, and authorities had not announced whether prosecutors would consider additional charges. A previously reported court appearance was scheduled for Monday, but its outcome had not been publicly confirmed as of the latest update.
Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.